So you want your brand to stand out?

JULY 25, 2024
TAYLOR BEUKEMA

Today’s marketplace is crowded, and businesses need to think strategically and intentionally about how to differentiate themselves. Differentiated brands know who they are. They understand their audiences’ wants and needs. They act instead of react, innovate ahead of trends, and market strategically and effectively to ensure that what matters to their business connects with their customers.

Differentiating your brand doesn’t simply mean revamping a logo or writing a new positioning statement. It’s more than that. It’s about finding the “why” behind your brand and using that to inform where you’re headed. Before jumping into creative execution, it’s important to start by ensuring you have the knowledge you need to shape your market. That could mean going through strategy checklist like this:

01: CLARIFY YOUR OBJECTIVES

Where is your business at now, and what direction do you want to go?

02: UNDERSTAND YOUR AUDIENCE

Who are your customers? Do you want this to change?

03: OWN YOUR MESSAGE

What is your brand saying now? How should you amplify this message?

04: SET YOUR ROADMAP

Now that you know your business’ identity, how do you employ an actionable brand marketing plan to reach your goals?

Chances are, when you walk through that checklist, you’re going to discover gaps in at least one area of your brand. But with the right marketing support, every gap can become an opportunity: leveraging who you are, what you do, and how you make customers feel so your business can grow. When we come alongside clients, we encourage them to start by looking at three key areas:

UPDATE YOUR BRAND EXPRESSION

From your values, goals, and strategies to product design and company culture, you have a unique place to own in the market. It’s important to identify and communicate that position clearly and cohesively—from your internal messaging to external packaging and more. You want your audience to be able to be able to recognize your brand’s distinct look and feel across multiple channels.

EXPAND AWARENESS THROUGH BRAND EXPLORATION

Articulating your values and offerings to new audiences can be hard. Investing in creative campaigns, collateral, and events is a way to solve for that. These tools help ignite curiosity and foster stronger relationships with prospective customers.

OFFER A BRAND EXPERIENCE

Successful businesses don’t just sell products or services, they create memorable interactions and experiences too. Creating customer-facing opportunities strengthens your audiences’ emotional bond with your brand—leveraging digital innovations and storytelling to create customer loyalty. And remember, loyal customers don’t just use your brand—they’ll share about it too.

No matter the business, taking your brand to the next level requires strategy, empathy, and creativity. And choosing the right agency partner is a big part of that. Because successful brand evolution projects shouldn’t just be cool and creative—they should be effective too.